“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

This was one of the most difficult verses for me to understand as a teenager. I thought I was squeaky clean. I knew what the sins were that everyone talked about and I wasn’t guilty of any of them. I didn’t drink, I wasn’t promiscuous (I didn’t even date), I didn’t cuss, I was a “good girl.” I just didn’t get it – how could I be a sinner?

Pop culture does nothing to help us understand our sin nature. Psychology as I understand it considers guilt to be the root of most emotional problems, so counselors will bend over backwards to relieve us from feelings of guilt. Everything is understandable based on what we have been through.

If we share our feelings of guilt with a friend, they are generally quick to put emotional salve on it saying something like “everybody does that sometimes” or “I would have done the same thing.”

If we are to understand what Christ did for us on the cross, we must honestly face our own sin nature. Jesus is our salve, not our own “goodness” we so willingly cling to.

Read the Ten Commandments (click link) to get a starting point to help recognize your sins. But don’t stop there, Jesus’ teachings further clarify the commandments. Read Matthew 5-7 to get an idea of how Jesus interpreted them.

Did you click the links and read them? Are you feeling guilty yet? Congratulations! Welcome to the human race, as we all have sinned. Don’t try to use pop culture salve to brush away the guilt. Acknowledge Jesus as who he claimed to be, the one and only Son of God who paid the debt for our sins by dying on a cross and defeating Satan and death for our sakes. Accepting his sacrifice for our sins is the only permanent (as in eternal) relief we can find for our guilt. Accept his sacrifice and rejoice in the freedom he offers to us. Our sin debt was paid in full on the cross – IF we will repent (agree with God that we sinned and commit to stop sinning), accept his gift of forgiveness and salvation, and seek to walk in the new life he offers.

I hope you are rejoicing in your new life with Jesus. Spend time in prayer and reading from his Word – the Bible. Don’t let the world give you a measuring stick for recognizing sin – go to the Word God has already given us. Continually watch for the sins that will continue to creep into your life, confess them to Jesus, and turn away from them with Jesus’ help.